Seven Hills High School - Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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ggi f Wg gg W f Mz'Iestone Ann. Speculation had occurred as to who his commander would be, with the arrival of Miss Stevenson, who now seemed to have complete charge of the situation. As a matter of fact, Sandy paid no more atten- tion to Ann, but devoted all his time and allowance to Bonnie. Another problem now had arisen in the form of the Country Club dance, which was being held the following Saturday, and naturally it was a must on every girl's social calendar. Yesterday, Monday, Sandy still had not asked Ann: so she had accepted a date with Bill Arthurk who had called last night. Ann was sure she would be miserable with him, but she had to go, if only to spite Sandy, Today, however, she regretted it, because, she thought, Sandy might still ask me, and now I couldn't accept. These, then, were the reasons for Ann's sleepless night and for the many tears that had been shed in the process. Ann finally finished dressing, camouliaged as best she could the signs of crying, and went downstairs to her breakfast. Mrs. Clark, if she did see any traces of her daughter's emotional upset, tactfully avoided mentioning it and instead said that she thought Ann ought to have a new dress for the dance. Ann, there's the most adorable black evening dress at the Junior Shop that I thought you might like for the dance. It's rather expensive and I don't approve of your wearing black much, but I think it would look quite well on you, and besides I think you need a new dress, Could you come down town with me this afternoon? 'AThat'd be swell, thanks! Ann answered, trying to make her voice sound cheerful, even though the mention of the dance made her wince inwardly. That afternoon she went with her mother to see the dress, and immediately bought it. The dress was something every girl wants, and the thought of having such a glamorous gown deinitely gave her spirits a lift. Wednesday through Friday passed too quickly for Ann, even with the added blow that Sandy was taking Bonnie Saturday night. That morning Ann was hovering between the idea of getting sick and not going, and the thought that, if she didn't go, she wouldn't be able to see Sandy. Deciding to see the thing through, now that she had started, she spent that afternoon getting ready. This process included putting on nail polish. seeing that all her clothes were in perfect order, washing her hair, taking a bath, and, finally, getting dressed. By the time all this had been accomplished, and her make-up put on with great care, Bill had arrived, and was waiting downstairs. The thought of going with Bill seemed to her almost like going with her father, as Bill and she had grown up together and had lived next door to one another most of this time. When she went downstairs, however, she was a bit surprised to discover that in a tux, he seemed very good- looking, Bill is three inches shorter than Sandy, and his hair is just plain blond, nothing exciting, she thought, mentally comparing the two, but I guess he'll just have to do for tonight. Bill whistled low under his breath when he saw her enter the room. Why, madam, he said, I never knew I had such a glamorous gal for a neighbor! I'd better catch up on what I've been missing these yearsY page 77

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Milestone g High School Story-Honorable Mention THE HEART MUST LAUGH Ann tossed the covers away from her and sat up in bed. The rain beat a steady tattoo against the windows and seemed to match the trace of tears in her eyes. She leaned back against the pillows and emitted a long, tear-choked sigh, her eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep and recent crying. i'Ann, dear, she heard her mother repeat, time to get up. Almost noon. i'All right, l'm awake, she answered dimly, not particularly caring if her mother heard or not. Oh, l'm so miserable! She wept into the dampish pillows, beating them as if they were the cause of all her troubles. After this storm of tears had exhausted itself, she climbed slowly out of bed and walked to the opposite side of the room, where she took a stand. Hrmly, in front of the dressing table mirror. Ann now indulged in looking at the swollen face reflected in front of her. 'AIt's really not so bad, when it's just natural, she thought, making allowances for the present condition of her face, 'land my hair isn't too bad to look at, and my figure is passable in anybody's language. These thoughts were quite over-critical at the time, because Ann was Hquite easy to look at, with deep, almost violet eyes, accented by long, dark eyelashes and straight eyebrows. Her nose was inclined to be a little short, but it was thin and straight, and her full, rounded lips made up for anything lacking in her nose structure. Her hair was naturally curly, waving slightly over her forehead and hanging in soft curls over her shoulders. As for her figure, it was definitely passable, and her natural grace added even more to her loveliness. ln other words, Ann Clark came very close to being beautiful. These things did not seem to comfort Ann in any respect, and her troubles were still as big as ever. Sitting at her dressing table, brushing her hair mechanically, she again thought over all that had happened to her in the past two weeks. Two weeks ago, she had been happy and carefree: now she felt lost and unhappy. The event which had brought about the tragedy in Ann's formerly peaceful life, had been the arrival of one Bonnie Lee Stevenson. Bonnie was from a plantation in Nlasonfield, Alabama, and had every aspect of the Old South, about her. While Ann was nearly beautiful, Bonnie was indeed exquisite, and did not have even the slight- est hint of a short nose. She was endowed not only with a perfect face, but also with gorgeous blond hair and a deep southern accent. Every- thing about her was feminine, and Bonnie, lacking neither brains nor beauty, accented her attributes to their fullest capacity. Thus in two weeks Bonnie, had made every boy her champion and the majority of the girls her jealous enemies. Among the boys was a certain gentleman who went under the descriptive name of Sandy Murdock. Sandy's light, golden-brown hair, plus his handsome face and engaging grin, went with six feet, three inches of powerful and well distributed manhood, which had previously been the sole property of page 76

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Ml.f9SfOH6 With these words, he presented her with a corsage box and a courtly bow, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth, which sent Ann into gay laughter. Saying goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Clark, they drove to the Country Club in fairly good humor. Ann's lasted only as far as the steps, however, where the sound of people laughing and the soft playing of the orchestra reminded her that Sandy and Bonnie were in there, some- where, together. With this thought, the old jealousy and pain stabbed at her heart, and she went into the powder-room practically in tears. Later, dancing with Bill, she cheered up somewhat, as he proved to be a wonderful dancer. Though the rest of the boys cut in, Sandy refrained. This hurt her terribly, and Bill somehow seemed to know and understand. Having a good time? he asked gently. Oh, yes, a wonderful time! Everything's just fine! she replied, almost completely truthful. A'Don't worry about Sandy. Annie: he'll realize what Bonnie's like soon, and what a marvelous gal he's passing by, in you. ThanksY she whispered, huskily, and squeezed his hand. l'll try to be more convincing from now on. You know something, Ann? You can kid yourself into thinking that you're having fun by just laughing every now and then, but you can't fool me. 'Til you laugh from the bottom of your heart, I'll know you're not completely happy. So don't worry about keeping up pretenses with me: l've known you too long to be fooled. Just relax, and don't do or say anything you don't want to, 'cause l'll understand. After that, nothing more was mentioned on the subject of Sandy or how she felt about him, but it seemed to her that a weight had been lifted from her heart. and she forgot all her troubles in her new gaiety. Sandy cut in on her Hnally, his usual charming self, and Ann was surprised that she felt no delight or glory in dancing and talking to him, Instead, she watched Bill talking to a group of his friends, seeing the respect in their eyes for him. Realising what a fool she'd been, passing up something that was fine and true for the glamour of someone like Sandy, she waited expectantly for Bill to cut in on her, but Bill didn't move from his friends. Every now and then she caught his eyes follow- ing Sandy and herself around the dance floor and suddenly realised that he was trying to give her what he thought she preferred. Ann interrupted Sandy in something he was saying about football and excused herself. Bill saw her as she came toward him, and walked over to meet her. Taking her in his arms, he danced with her quietly to the music for a minute, and happiness and joy overwhelmed her. Looking up at him, she smiled gaily and said, 'ANow, Bill, I am completely happy: everything is as it should be. Bill, seeing her smile, laughed contentedly, and held her tighter. He could tell that she was not pretending, for her heart was laughing, too. DEBoRAH WILDER, '46 page 78